Packaged circuit elements such as electronic controllers and infinite switches, referred to as energy regulators, are utilized in a great variety of devices. More specifically, the infinite switches are utilized in devices such as ovens, stoves, grills, heaters, and other cooking appliances among others which call for proportionate control of a resistive heater load. Space for such control electronics within such devices is generally very limited. Therefore, the infinite switches are often used in locations within the devices that are very limited.
Consider by way of example an electric stove. Often times the temperature control for each individual burner is directly connected to an infinite switch. Although, access to the temperature control dial is ergonomically very simple for the user, access to the infinite switch to which the user control dial is attached may be very restricted. Thus, the user is easily able locate and turn a dial that conveniently faces the user on an ergonomically friendly panel on the front of the stove. Turning the dial turns a shaft that extends through an aperture of the panel of the stove. The shaft then forms part of the infinite switch in the back of the stove's front panel.
The small compartment inside the back of the stove's front panel becomes problematic for a user or a technician when the infinite switch requires repair or replacement because access to the infinite switch is generally only possible by removal of a back panel of the stove. Once access is gained, the electrical connections internal to the stove are disconnected from the infinite switch and the switch is repaired or replaced.
In most current infinite switches on the market, wiring exits the infinite switch in a perpendicular direction from the mounting surface. In other words, the wiring exits the infinite switch parallel to the shaft and the central axis of the infinite switch. This wiring is currently done either in discrete wire and terminal form or as a block connector method that generally requires more than one block to connect to all the terminals of the infinite switch. In other words, with either of the currently known wiring methods for packaged circuit elements, and more specifically infinite switches in stoves, there are multiple location points for electrical connection between the appliance and the infinite switch.
Unfortunately, reattachment also referred to as rewiring of the stoves wires to the replacement infinite switch is more time consuming and difficult than desired. This is due in part because of the multiple wires that must be reconnected at multiple locations to the infinite switch which may lead to miswiring. It is also due to the amount of space required by the wires and the position of other components and structures on the back of the panel.
Because the wires must exit the infinite switch nearly parallel to the shaft and perpendicular to their mounting surface then the wiring height makes it difficult if not impossible to replace the infinite switch in the space provided for during manufacture. Thus, if the wires in point to point connections or via block connectors are not properly spaced in the back of the appliance, the infinite switch does not fit into the original space it occupied.
During manufacture of an appliance, the precisely controlled environment facilitates the exact placement of the infinite switch into the back of the appliance. However, in the field, when the infinite switch is removed for the repair/replacement discussed above, then a replacement infinite switch with its electrical connection is not easily refitted into the tight space. Further, where multiple discrete wiring connection are required from the stove/device to the infinite switch, too much time is required to match the wire to the proper terminal and miswiring and failures of the control to which they are connected may occur.
Such efforts to repair or replace an infinite switch in such devices results in lost time because of the time it takes to rework the electrical connections and try to make the infinite switch fit into its location.